Proposal for degree show ‘09
“Many years ago a river named the Wellsbourne used to flow from Patcham down the Old London Road (now London Road) and onto the level. It would continue past St Peter’s Church and on to the Old Steine, which at the time was a lake. Over time the river has been concealed and now exists as an underground river, merging at times with the sewers and arising with periods of high rainfall, most recently in 2000 – 2001.”
Bending In
06.09.
Please note, written on the title card was the following:
- Flax
- Tropical wood used as joists for Brighton Pier from 1899 to 1999
- Approximately 200 hours weaving time
Following is the text displayed as part of the piece within the left frame. In the right frame was an extract from ‘The Storm’ by Daniel Defoe, presenting eye witness accounts of the 1703 storm.
Bending In
In 1703, Brighton Suffered the Great Storm, arguably the most severe storm to have hit England in recorded history. With winds approximated to have exceeded over 120mph, it killed more that 7,000 inhabitants of Brighton and destroyed much of the ‘Lower Town’ which then was below the cliffs, along the foreshore. Moreover, it claimed hundreds of fishing boats, the backbone of Brighton’s economy.
Two years later in 1705, a second storm stuck obliterating what remained of the Lower Town, burying it under 15ft deep mountains of pebbles.
Prior to the storms, Brighton was and had always been a prosperous fishing town. In the 17th Century, four out of five men were fishermen and the town was very much economically sound.
Brighton fishermen used their own type of vessel known as the ‘hogboat’ or ‘hoggie’ which was especially suited to the particular local conditions; they had a very wide beam making them stable in rough seas and were easily hauled onto the shingle beaches. The mast was positioned closer to the bow and the sail was unusually longer in length over width.
Furthermore, Brighton was a self-sustaining town. Flax was grown in the area that is now Bruswick Square to produce linen for the sails and hemp was grown in the ‘Hempshares’, now the South Lanes.
Following the two storms came a mighty depression. The town had to be rebuilt and boats constructed but with the lack of men and boats, the fishing industry dramatically decreased.
Every year, at the start of the mackerel season, came the ceremony ‘Bending In’. The townspeople and clergymen would assemble at the seafront and pray for the success of fishing.
It is said that in hope, the fishermen repeated the prayer daily.
Shrove Tuesday
04.09.
Prior to the degree show, the studios are cleared and the space is tranformed into the gallery. Since first year I had refrained from throwing away many materials..
Bladud’s Oak
03/09
Within the quadrant of Brighton University is an assortment of unusual and beautiful trees. Though I am unsure of the precise truth, I have heard from numerous sources the reason for this occurrence. Following is the text that was displayed in the piece.
Bladud’s Oak
Richard Morrell
Before Brighton University, Grand Parade site was built, the land which we now know as the quadrangle was Church land. Approximately 100m up from the University stood Grand Parade Chapel built in 1835 and demolished in 1938.
Throughout the hundred years that it stood, there was tradition that when visitors came to stay they would bring with them a cutting or seed from a tree associated with their hometown to plant in what is now the quad. Observing the trees in the quad one will notice their individualities and differences as a result of this tradition.
Continuing this tradition I returned home to Bath. In Victoria Park, in the centre of Bath, there is an ancient oak planted in honour of the Prince of Wales in 1863. The oak tree makes direct references to the legendary story of King Bladud and it is from this tree that I collected the displayed cuttings. Before the degree show I intent to plant the British Oak in the quad with the others.
The following page is original text of the ‘Legend of Bath’. As with all legends, the story varies but the crux remains the same; in particular the coaxing of the pigs at the moment of discovery with acorns from a nearby tree.
JOHN WOOD
The Healing of Prince Bladud and the Founding of Bath
The following account of the Bladud tradition was collected by the famous architect from “ Elders of the Present Age ” (i.e. the 18th century), and is taken from Chapter IX of the first volume of his Essay towards a Description of Bath. It is to the author, generally known as “ the elder Wood, ” that Bath owes the North and South Parades, Queen Square, the circus and Ralph Allen’s mansion at Prior Park.
WHILE Bladud, the only son of Lud Hudibras, the eighth King of the Britons from Brute, was a young Man, he, by some Accident or other, got the Leprosy; and, lest he should infect the Nobility and Gentry that attended his Father’s Levy with that Distemper, they all joined in an humble Petition to the King, that the Prince might be Banished the British Court. Lud Hudibras finding himself under a Necessity of complying with the Petition, ordered Bladud to depart his Palace; and the Queen, upon parting with her only son, presented him with a Ring as a token by which she should know him again, if he should ever get cured.
The young Prince was not long upon his Exile, nor had he travelled far, before he met with a poor Shepherd feeding his Flocks upon the Downs, with whom, after a little Discourse, he exchanged his Apparel, and then endeavoured for Employ, in the same way. Fortune so far favoured Bladud’s designs that he soon obtained from a Swineherd who lived near the place where Cainsham now stands the Care of a Drove of Pigs, which he in a short time infected with Leprosy: and to keep the Disaster as long as possible from his Master’s knowledge, proposed to drive the Pigs to the other side of the Avon, to fatten them with Acorns of the Woods.
The Prince set out with his Herd early in the Morning; and soon meeting with a shallow part of the Avon, cross’d it with his Pigs, in token whereof he called that Place by the name of Swineford. Here the rising Sun, breaking through the Clouds, first saluted the Royal Herdsman with his comfortable Beams; and while he was addressing himself to the glorious Luminary, and raying that the wrath of Heaven against him might be averted, the whole Drove of Pigs, as if seized with a Phrenzy, ran away; pursuing their Course up the Valley by the side of the River till they reached the Spot of Ground where the hot Springs of Bath boil up.
The Scum which the Water naturally emits, mixing with Leaves of Oak Trees and decayed Weeds, had then made the Land about the Springs, almost all over-run with Brambles like a Bog; into which the Pigs directly immerged themselves; and so delighted were they in Wallowing in their warm ouzy Bed that Bladud was unable to get them away till excessive Hunger made them glad to follow the Prince for Food: Then by a Sachel of Acorns, Gathered from the nearby Oak, shook and lightly strewed before them Bladud drew his Herd to a convenient Place to wash and feed them by Day as well as to secure them by Night; and there he made distinct Crues for the Swine to lie in; the Prince concluding that by keeping the Pigs clean and separate, the Infection would soon be over: And in this Pursuit he was much encouraged when, upon washing them clean of the Filth with which they were covered he observed some of the Pigs to have shed their hoary Marks.
Bladud had not been settled many Days at this place, which from the number of Crues took the name of Swineswick, before he, by driving his Herd into the Woods for Food, lost one of his best Sows; nor could he find her during a whole Week’s diligent Search: But at last accidentally passing by the hot Springs, he observed the strayed Animal wallowing in the Mire about the Waters; and on washing her, she appeared perfectly cured of the Leprosy.
The Prince, struck with Astonishment, and considering with himself why he should not receive the same Benefit by the same Means instantly resolved to try the Experiment; and thereupon stripping himself naked, plunged himself into the Sedge and Waters; wallowing in them as the Sow had done; and repeating it every Morning and every Night: So that in a few Days his white Scales began to fall off; and then Bladud was convinced that the hot Waters had Virtues of the greatest Efficacy for his Disorder.
Proposal For A Houseboat
10.08.
Experiment Number Thirty One
03.08.
IMAGES STILL TO BE REFINED
Experiment Number Thirty One was an interactive installation piece created for my second year show.
One would enter the structure through a small door at the side into a low ceilinged room. This had cables running throughout the ceiling and a light bulb in the corner.
A trapdoor led the viewer into a room below which was pitch black with an industrial fan fanning dust around the room.
In the opposite corner on the ceiling was another trapdoor leading to the top floor which was contrasted with strong light and the sound of white noise.
Climbing back to the ground floor one leaves through another door into a small corridor space which had four monitors on the wall displaying live feed visuals from the three rooms. This corridor could be viewed by viewers that had not interacted with the piece, enabling them to view inside without entering whilst causing the participator to realise that they had in fact been watched throughout their journey.
My Incredible Facade
11.07.
Approaching the piece one saw two televisions playing what appeared to be live feed footage from the two cameras above. These were pointed through two holes and into the space behind.
On the screens was footage of a sleeping figure: the artist. Walking around the piece to where the cameras pointed showed that there was no figure but instead a stereo playing the sound of breathing, two dvd players and the wires connecting them all.
(NO TITLE)
01.08.
Untitled
05.07
